In the original article below, Mark Dunnenberger, Pharm D, of the NorthShore University HealthSystem articulates need-to-know basics of PGx and the value to both patient and doctor. "These tests are very different than genome sequencing services that provide data on your ancestry, analysis of disease-related genes or information on your risk of developing certain diseases. Instead, the tests look for specific gene variants that can help physicians minimize the trial and error of prescribing certain medications and help narrow down medication choices, especially when it comes to treatments for pain and psychiatric medications."

Prescription of medications to unique patients is not one-size-fits-all; but a simple buccal swab PGx test can be one-time-fits-all - because your genes don't change, testing for your pharmacogenomic information only needs to be done once.